A computerized device can include a non-volatile storage medium for storing information that can survive after power is removed from the computerized device. Such a computerized device can be a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop computer, and can include at least one processor and a solid-state disk (SSD). The SSD provides non-volatile storage for the computerized device, and the processor can employ the SSD to store digital information (e.g., data, computer-executable instructions, applications) for a user of the computerized device. Because the digital information is stored in the non-volatile storage of the SSD, the digital information can persist in the computerized device, even if power is lost to the computerized device. After power is restored to the computerized device, the processor can retrieve the digital information from the SSD.
An SSD typically includes a non-volatile storage medium (e.g., NAND flash memory, NOR flash memory) that stores digital information in an array of memory cells. Such memory cells can have a finite endurance of several tens or hundreds of thousands, or even up to one or more millions, of write cycles (e.g., cycles of erase/write operations). If any of the memory cells in the non-volatile storage medium are subjected to a number of write cycles that exceeds their endurance capabilities, then those memory cells may wear out and eventually lose their functionality. For example, the memory cells may lose data, or may lose their ability to store data. In an effort to assure that no memory cells become worn out over the expected lifetime of the computerized device in which they are employed, the computerized device may employ wear management technology such as “wear leveling”, which is generally designed to achieve a uniform distribution of erase/write operations across an address space of the memory cells. In this way, premature failure of memory cells due to high concentrations of write cycles within the memory cell address space can be reduced.